Defensive Midfielders Staying Home

The formation isn’t all that different, but Crew head coach Robert Warzycha is asking for a few
different things from some of his defensive players this season.

After signing MLS veteran Tyson Wahl and Uruguayan Agustin Viana in the offseason, the Crew has
slightly altered its defensive approach. With Wahl at left back, emerging cornerstone Josh Williams
at right back and Viana paired with veteran Danny O’Rourke as defensive midfielders, Warzycha is
asking his outside backs to play forward more often.

“You look at the things that these guys can do during the game, what their strengths and
weaknesses are,” he said. “We have fullbacks overlapping – that’s why we maybe have the center
midfielders sitting a little more. That has to be balanced.”

Last season, the Crew typically only asked one of its midfielders to stay home closer to the
back four. Milovan Mirosevic, who was let go during the offseason, was originally supposed to play
more of an attacking role. It never quite materialized, however, and the Crew has not replaced his
roster spot with a player asked to assume similar responsibilities.

When asked if one of the players playing Viana’s or O’Rourke’s spot last season would have been
asked to attack more, Warzycha said, “You’re probably right to say that, but we didn’t have
fullbacks overlapping. It has to be a balance. You can’t do everything.”

Midfielder Justin Meram, who made his season debut against the Earthquakes, said he feels the
Crew is leaving itself too exposed in front of O’Rourke and Viana.

“I think Viana and Danny play the same position, kind of,” he said. “I think there’s a gap where
other teams like San Jose, they keep the ball. They’re pinging around us in the midfield and that
only makes us tired and changes the flow of the game when the other team has the ball in the center
of the park.

“We all around have to play better. I think we’ve given away too many easy balls to the other
team. Our midfield maybe has to do a better job, particularly on the inside. The outside guys are
playing well. We just have to improve at keeping the ball. Too many cheap giveaways. Once you win
the ball and you turn it over right away, you put the defense on the heels. I think (forwards
Jairo) Arrieta and (Federico) Higuain are doing fine and the back line is doing fine. In my
personal opinion, the midfield has to get better.”

Wahl said games against Vancouver and San Jose have been different because of the “funky
midfields” utilized by both teams.

“At times our midfield was overloaded and overwhelmed and it required center mids to do a lot of
extra chasing,” he said. “You never want that to happen. In Vancouver it was the right back who
pretty much plays right mid and that created a little bit of havoc for us and San Jose was a little
similar but on the left side because (Ramiro) Corrales pinches in and plays like a center mid
almost. He’s written in as a left mid and then their left back goes pretty high forward.

“It’s a numbers game and making sure that we’re switching on and off of guys and realizing that
two can’t mark four. We just have to have support and communicate that more quickly and give those
guys the support they need.”

Asked what the coaches have tasked him with doing, Viana declined to comment, asking to keep
those instructions within the locker room. As for how things are going playing with O’Rourke, he
said, “It’s OK. We are working hard. We are getting to know each other. There are very good players
in the middle. Everyone wants to play and do their best for the team. That’s important that we are
really working hard to help the team.”

As the Crew works to improve defensively, Warzycha said it is not just the responsibility of the
defensive players.

“I think we definitely need to be better on the final pass, whether that is coming from the
central midfielder or the fullback or the forwards it doesn’t make any difference,” he said. “We
want to play offensive soccer and make sure at the same time that we are responsible.”